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Wednesday, December 01, 2010

December Volunteer Spotlight: Duncan McLean

Just this year Duncan McLean joined L.A. Works' volunteer movement. The intention to volunteer had been in the back of his mind for years, so when a project crossed his browser this summer, he decided to take the plunge. Searching L.A. Works' webpage was perfect for what Duncan was looking for… although he candidly admits he didn’t know exactly what that was. "But I knew I wanted to test the water." He felt confident that he could find a few hours in his weekend, and now was as good a time to get started as any.

The first project Duncan checked out was the Ballona Wetlands Restoration. With a positive experience under his belt, he then took on Food Sorting at the LA Regional Foodbank, Adventures with Apes at the Gibbon Conservation Center, Angeles Forest Restoration, and Furry Fun at Friends of Animals Foundation. Although Duncan found it particularly appealing that there isn't a big time commitment to volunteer through L.A. Works, and that he could take each experience on a trial basis, he has returned to several of these projects and now volunteers weekly at Friends of Animals. "The dogs are just so excited to go out for a walk. It's sort of my thing now," he told us.

Duncan was so pleased to come across our organization that whenever he volunteers on a new project, he tells his friends about it on his Facebook page, “Not to say ‘Look at what a good dude I am’ but to help spread the word and maybe inspire my friends who’ve also thought about volunteering but haven’t done it yet. Just to show how easy, fun and rewarding it can be." Duncan continues to volunteer because he likes to be able to get "outside my own world" which includes producing and editing television documentaries and docu-reality series. When asked what keeps him busy when he’s not working, he shared, "I enjoy hiking, reading and watching movies." After pausing a moment, he added, "And now I can add volunteering to the list!"